Bathroom troubles

It's the middle of the ninth and we're in for a small delay. Mobile manager Brett Butler has went to the umpires who are now going to Biscuits manager Billy Gardner.

Here's the deal: Mobile pitcher Matt Elliott is locked in the bathroom.

Elliot went into the bathroom just behind the Mobile dugout after allowing a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. He slammed the door with such force that it broke the door.

I've seen this before. When I was in college and covering the school's baseball team for the school paper, an outfielder -- smart one, too -- pulled off the same feat. When they finally got the door open, he asked if he was out of the game. He told me later he wondered if there was some exception to the substitution rule for that. He's now a doctor.

The BayBears are simply going to bring in a new reliever, though fans are huddled near the tunnel to check on the bathroom proceedings. Mark Rosen is in the game.

I've got it as a nine-minute bathroom door delay. Unofficially, the official scorer is calling it an eight-minute delay.

UPDATE: Elliott was freed about 10:40, 20 minutes after the game ended. He was not pleased with his lot in life Saturday.